In a communications system, such as one employing a number of Earth-based antennae directed to an orbiting satellite, preferably in geosynchronous orbit, the determination of antennae direction or pointing is critical, particularly in systems where the antennae have no or little tracking capability. For example, in the consumer satellite broadcast market (e.g., satellite broadcast television), thousands of consumer antennae or dishes point to a geosynchronous satellite for broadcast data signals (e.g., broadcast television channel content). If the alignment of a given antennae were off, then the signal quality would be diminished, the service would be degraded and the customer relationship affected.
With potentially millions of individual customers, it is difficult to regularly service each customer to determine if their antenna is properly optimized or aligned. Further, existing communications systems are generally unable to determine particular maladjusted antennae or dishes within a population of subscribers. With satellite TV and other satellite-signal services becoming more integral and critical in modern consumer entertainment and communications services, the problem of optimization, determination and correction requires attention.
Another concern of communications system owners is to maintain the fidelity of subscriber membership. Often, parties illegally intercept and pirate content by high jacking the signal feed from a subscriber satellite. The interdiction of these illegal connections is quite desirous, and a technique that both combines the improvement of signal connectivity and membership verification is greatly desired as well.
There is, therefore, a need for communications systems to ascertain the directional alignment status of antennae pointed to satellites, enabling discrete corrective measures to fix only those antennae out of alignment, thereby maintaining quality signal reception and system performance. There is also a need for a technique to better identify unauthorized users of a satellite-based subscriber service and better interdict inappropriate usage of those services.